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We have seen boy bands come and go, but there was something different about the 2017 boy band surge. The 2017 American boy band craze — driven by groups such as In Real Life, Why Don’t We, and PRETTYMUCH—changed the way people viewed boy bands as a whole.
Each of these three groups brought something new to the boy band scene that many people, specifically teenage girls, were missing and yearning for. They revived the boy band pop-music scene, filling the gap left by One Direction‘s 2015 hiatus.
With the integration of social media engagement with their fans, the use of diverse sounds in their music and choreography, and the ability to stream their music on sites such as YouTube and Spotify, groups like In Real Life, Why Don’t We, and PRETTYMUCH defined the 2017 boy band era craze that many people remember to this day.
What Is A Boy Band?
Let’s answer the question many people often ask others: What is a boy band? Many non-boy band fans only know the bare minimum when it comes to anything boy band-related. If you were to ask a teenage girl the same question, she would give you more than enough information.
A boy band1 is a group of male performers who typically sing and dance together. However, there are a couple of groups comprised of men like The Beatles and Five Seconds of Summer, who do not really consider themselves to be a boy band, since they play instruments instead of dancing.
For years, many groups never really used the phrase “boy band” to describe themselves. It wasn’t until the 80’s when we saw groups begin to use the boy band term. Before using the phrase, groups would just use “male vocal groups” to describe themselves.
The origin of boy bands actually comes from barbershop quartets. Dating all the way back to the nineteenth century, with a popularity boost in the 1930’s, barbershop quartets were a group of four men dressed in vests, striped pants, straw hats, and bow ties who would sing acapella. Each group consisted of four voices: the lead, bass, tenor, and baritone.
Although they were not considered boy bands, barbershop quartets created the Boy Band formula. There have been hundreds of boy bands that have come and gone, many of them making huge names for themselves and even more that are still well known to this day.
The Evolution Of Boy Bands: From The 80s Onward
It would take too long to name every boy band that has come and gone, so here are some of the most well-known and notable boy bands to date.
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 52, are a soul, RnB, pop vocal group formed in 1964 from Gary, Indiana that consisted of five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. The group, which was managed by their father, Joe Jackson, became the first group ever to debut four songs on the Billboard Hot 100’s chart after signing with Motown in 1968.
Some of the group’s most notable songs include “ABC,” and “I Want You Back.” The group has sold over 150 million records worldwide. Michael, who is known as the “King of Pop,” debuted with his first solo album in 1979, marking the start of his impressive, long-standing solo career.
Michael unfortunately passed away in 2009, but since then, his brothers have not only kept his legacy going but the Jackson 5 legacy as a whole.
New Kids On The Block
New Kids on the Block is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts that consisted of five members: brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donny Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. The group made its debut in 1984 and is still doing performances to this day.
Their most popular song to date is “Step By Step.” The group has also sold more than 80 million records throughout their entire career, which prompted them to become the stepping stone for American boy bands.
NSYNC
Formed by member Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, NSYNC was a boy band consisting of five members: Chris Kirkpatrick, Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, and JC Chasez. The group made its debut in 1995 and was managed by Lou Pearlman, who they eventually sued for fraud.
The group found success through their songs “Bye Bye Bye” and “Tearing Up My Heart”. The group has gone on to sell over 70 million records. NSYNC went on hiatus in 2002, and member Justin went on to have a successful solo career.
The group has reunited several times, with the most recent reunion in 2024 at member Justin’s solo concert in Los Angeles, California.
Backstreet Boys
Also managed by Lou Pearlman, the Backstreet Boys was an American boy band from Orlando, Florida. The group was formed in 1993 with members Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, and Howie Dorough.
The Backstreet Boys’ most notable songs are “I Want It That Way” and “Everybody (Backstreets Back)”. In their entire career as a group, they have sold over 130 million records.
They continued to make music together over the years, with their most recent release being in 2022, which was their first Christmas album, A Very Backstreet Christmas.
One Direction
One Direction, known for being the biggest boy band in the world, was originally formed on the X Factor UK (2004-2024)3. Originally auditioning as soloists, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne were put together as a group by Nicole Scherzinger, Simon Cowell, and Louis Walsh.
The group continued together throughout the show, placing third in the end. One Direction then went on to debut in 2011 with their album Up All Night with the single “What Makes You Beautiful.” The group released three more albums after the release of Up All Night.
In March 2015, it was announced that member Zayn would be leaving One Direction during the middle of the group’s On The Road Again tour. The four remaining members released their final album, Made in the A.M., on November 13, 2015. They then announced their hiatus in January 2016.
Since their debut in 2011, the group has sold over 70 million records. Since their hiatus in 2016, all of the members have gone on to have their own successful solo careers. Unfortunately, in October 2024, member Liam passed away in Argentina.
The Making Of A Boy Band
Forming a boy band can happen in many ways. One of the most common ways is through audition processes via entertainment companies and talent agencies. We have also seen many groups formed through television programs such as The X Factor (2011-2013)4, Making The Band (2000-2002)5, and Boy Band (2017)6.
Contestants on the show originally compete and audition individually but are eventually put together into one group and continue on the show as a group. Some of the most notable boy bands we know, such as One Direction, were formed on these television programs.
These audition shows have become a normalized way of forming groups. This is true for both American boy bands and K-pop groups, which we have seen in recent years. ABC’s Boy Band (2017) was the most recent boy band making show where we saw the formation of In Real Life.
A New Generation Of Boy Bands: Who Are In Real Life, Why Don’t We, And PRETTYMUCH?
After One Direction went on hiatus in 2015, there was a noticeable absence of American boy bands — until 2017.
Groups like In Real Life, Why Don’t We, and PRETTYMUCH changed the game for American boy bands. But who were they? Let’s introduce these three groups and learn a little bit more about them.
In Real Life
In Real Life was an American boy band formed on ABC’s reality music competition show, Boy Band (2017). in 2017. Contestants of the show competed against each other in hopes of making it to the final round.
The group consisted of Chance Perez, Drew Ramos, Conor Michael Smith, Sergio Calderon, and Brady Tutton. The group performed their debut song, “Eyes Closed,” on the finale of the show on August 24, 2017. They made their official debut on September 15, 2017.
In Real Life then went on to release several singles, including “Tattoo (How ‘Bout You),” “Tonight Belongs To You,” “How Badly,” and “Got Me Good.” They went on to do three tours, including the American Idol summer tour in 2018.
On top of releasing several singles and their debut album She Do, in 2019, the group also released a couple of Christmas singles. Unfortunately, the group was dropped by their label, Hollywood Records, in 2019, but then went on to create their own label, Broke Hero Records.
Why Don’t We
Why Don’t We was an American boy band that consisted of Jonah Marais, Daniel Seavey, Corbyn Besson, Zach Herron, and Jack Avery. The group made their official debut on October 20, 2016, with their single “Taking You.”
The five of them first met a year before the band’s creation and ultimately came together to become Why Don’t We. The group has released various other singles, such as “Something Different” and “Invitation”. In August 2018, the group released their first album, 8 Letters, with the single “8 Letters.”
The group also embarked on several tours and are known for being in several videos with YouTuber, Logan Paul.
PRETTYMUCH
PRETTYMUCH was a five-member American boy band formed by Simon Cowell. The group, consisting of Brandon Arreaga, Edwin Honoret, Nick Mara, Austin Porter, and Zion Kuwonu, made their debut with the single “Would You Mind” in July 2017.
The group started to gain attention on social media for their dancing videos, even before they made their official debut.
Other singles released by them include “Open Arms,” “Teacher,” “No More” Feat. French Montana” and their most popular song, “Phases”. PRETTYMUCH was more than just a simple boy band, they brought more to the table than just their music.
A Feeling Of Nostalgia
After these three groups made their official debuts, they left their mark as the new generation of American boy bands. These three groups followed the same formula that groups like NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and One Direction followed, but they twisted it in their own way to make it more original to them.
For example, PRETTYMUCH member, Brandon, wrote many songs for the group. Brandon has been credited for almost every single PRETTYMUCH song. All three groups did a great job of using well-known music sounds from different genres such as Pop and RnB, but they did so in their own unique way.
On top of bringing back similar sounds to previous boy bands, these three groups introduced a performance aspect to their craft, which had been missing from previous groups like New Kids on the Block and NSYNC.
Groups like In Real Life, Why Don’t We, and PRETTYMUCH made fans of One Direction, NSYNC, and Backstreet Boys feel nostalgic through their music and dancing. It made people reminisce on such a formative time of their lives, a feeling that many teenage girls had when these groups debuted in 2017-2018.
Why Do Teenage Girls Love Boy Bands?
Teenage girls or fangirls specifically play a huge role in the success of boy bands. They are at the forefront of boy bands’ audiences and are the main reason why many of them have been created.
A fangirl is a young girl or woman who is a passionate follower of someone such as a musician or actor. Fangirls devote a huge part of their lives to being a fangirl and are not afraid to show their love and support to their favorite musicians or actors.
Boy bands are created to appeal to teenage girls, which we have seen from almost every single boy band that has debuted. Being a fangirl also allows girls to be who they are and not feel judged for it.
Don’t be mistaken — fangirls aren’t just drawn in by looks. The music from their favorite musicians is also important to them. Music can be comforting to fangirls and can be a distraction to other things in their lives. This doesn’t just apply to teenage girls, though; the music can mean something to everyone.
Being a fangirl is also a way of enjoying your teenage years, and it marks an important phase that you will remember for the rest of your life. Social media has also allowed fangirls to document these precious moments in their lives.
The Role Of Social Media
Social media played a large role in the popularity of each of these three groups. Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram were the top places where the groups became recognized.
Social media was also a way for the groups to interact with their fans. Fans would create fan accounts for these groups. They were able to make friends with other fans through these accounts, which is another aspect of the fangirl appeal to boy bands.
Instagram livestreams and X mention parties were some of the most popular forms of gaining interactions from your favorite groups at this time. When a member of a group would go live on Instagram, fans could comment in hopes of getting a reply or recognition from the member.
In addition to having personal interaction with the band members, having a social media fan account allowed fans to promote their favorite group. Streaming was a huge part of promoting their favorite groups. Social media further allowed fans to keep up with events featuring their favorite groups.
Without social media, In Real Life, Why Don’t We, and PRETTYMUCH would not have had the same success that they did. Without social media, their fanbases may never have grown as large or loyal.
Summer In The City (2018)
The 2018 Summer in the City performance was a pivotal moment for the three boy groups and their fans. 99.7Now!, a radio station based in San Francisco, California, announced their lineup for their first ever Summer in the City event in 2018. In Real Life, Why Don’t We, and PRETTYMUCH were announced in the lineup alongside Madison Beer.
The event took place on June 24, 2018, at The Masonic in San Francisco, California. This was one of the first events all three groups performed together. Since all three groups debuted around the same time, many people were fans of all three, making this an exciting event for them to attend.
PRETTYMUCH member Zion took to X on June 7, 2018, and made a joke about doing a song battle against Why Don’t We. This event also allowed all three groups to gain more fans and add to their overall popularity.
8 Years Later — Where Are They Now?
It has been over 8 years since these three groups first debuted. Like most boy bands, they were at the peak of their careers when they first debuted. Being able to perform in a huge crowd, meeting their fans, and winning awards are all these boy bands want.
They make it through the first couple of years all together, but then unexpected things may happen. Either a member leaves the group to embark on other projects, they leave their management, or they unfortunately disband. So after reading all of this, you may ask, where are In Real Life, Why Don’t We, and PRETTYMUCH today?
In Real Life
In 2020, after two and a half years as a group and after being formed on the television Boy Band (2017), the group decided to go their separate ways to focus on solo projects. The group took to their Instagram to share the news with their fans.
Since their disbandment in 2020, each of the five members has gone on to do many things on their own. In October 2020, it was announced that member Chance7 would be playing Javi Garcia in Power Rangers Dino Fury (2021-2022). In 2024, Chance and his fiancee, Emma Smith, welcomed their second child, Lincoln. The two also have a daughter, Brooklyn, who is ten.
Brady
Brady went on to become a songwriter and producer. In 2021, he took to his Instagram and announced he was a part of the writing process for the B-side “Blue” on K-pop solo artist, Kai‘s second-mini album Peaches.
Connor
Conor and his now wife, Janessa, announced to social media that the two tied the knot in 2023. Conor also continued his solo rap career with his most recent release of “Intro” and “Whatever It Takes” at the beginning of 2025.
Sergio
Sergio embarked on his solo music career releasing his first single in May 2020. On top of releasing his solo music, Sergio announced he will be embarking on his first UK and Europe tour this April.
Drew
Drew has kept a low profile since the disbandment of In Real Life. He has mainly posted covers on YouTube.
The five of them have all made it clear that they are still quite close to this day and will continue to be.
Why Don’t We
Despite Why Don’t We being on such a high in their career, in 2021, the members took to their Instagram and shared with their fans the abuse they received from their company, Signature Entertainment.
On April 5, 2022, the group took to their Instagram, announcing they were in a lawsuit against Signature Entertainment. The lawsuit forced them to cancel their 2022 North American tour.
Not even three months later, the group announced they would be going on hiatus. While on hiatus, members Jonah, Daniel, and Corbyn went to release their own solo music with Jonah and Daniel embarking on their own solo world tours.
As of February of this year, the lawsuit against their company came to an end, but, unfortunately, the group lost and can no longer use the “Why Don’t We” name8, officially marking their disbandment as a group.
PRETTYMUCH
PRETTYMUCH released several songs and even went on a couple of tours before member, Nick Mara announced his departure9 from the group on October 7, 2022.
The remaining four members announced they would continue as a group and released their single “H2L.” On October 29, 2003, almost a year after Nick’s departure, the group took to Instagram to announce their official disbandment.
Brandon
Since then, member Brandon has become a producer and songwriter. He took to his Instagram in December 2024, hinting at a potential solo debut.
Edwin
Edwin has also gone on to becoming a songwriter and producer and will be releasing his newest single, “Stronger,” this month.
The Future Of The Boy Band Phenomenon
So what is next for boy bands? With K-Pop making its way into the Western music scene, we are starting to see a shift of popularity from traditional American boy bands to K-pop boy and girl groups.
There is still potential for American boy bands to make a major comeback. With the way social media is nowadays, up-and-coming boy bands may utilize platforms like Instagram and TikTok to promote themselves and interact with their fans.
We have seen the appeal of boy bands shift over the years and who knows, we may see the 2017 boy band phenomenon happen again soon. With the right formula of a group of boys/men who can sing and attract the perfect audience, the biggest boy band may be amongst us.
Footnotes
- Bowenbank, Starr. “Billboard Explains: The Magic of Boy Bands” Billboard. 9 February 2022. ↩︎
- “Legacy – The Jacksons” The Jacksons. 9 May 2019. ↩︎
- “The X Factor UK (TV Series 2004–2024)
4.4 | Documentary, Game-Show, Music.” IMDb, 4 Sept. 2004.99 ↩︎ - “The X Factor (TV Series 2011–2013) 5.0 | Game-Show, Music, Reality-TV.” IMDb, 21 Sept. 2011. ↩︎
- “Making the Band (TV Series 2000–2002) 4.1 | Music, Reality-TV.” IMDb, 24 Mar. 2000. ↩︎
- “Boy Band (TV Series 2017) 5.5 | Game-Show, Music, Reality-TV.” IMDb, 22 June 2017. ↩︎
- IMDb.com (2023). Chance Perez. IMDb. ↩︎
- Mier, Tomàs. “Why Don’t We Members Can’t Use Band’s Name After ‘Nightmare’ Legal Battle” Rolling Stone. 27 February 2025. ↩︎
- Niasse, Amina. “PRETTYMUCH Announce Nick Mara Is Leaving the Band Billboard. 7 October 2022. ↩︎